Battle of the Planets Christmas Special
by transmutejun
Summary: Gatchaman Episode 64: The Deadly Christmas Presents written as a BOTP episode.
1. Part 1 before commercial break

I added a number of images to this story, to illustrate how I would adapt the episode for BOTP, however this site doesn't allow pictures. To see the image version, check out the gatchfanfic site!

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Coming up next on the Battle of the Planets Christmas Special: Zoltar makes plans to attack a Federation planet the day before Christmas! Only G-Force can stop him, with the aid of five young boys. Don't miss one exciting moment of… Battle of the Planets! Stay tuned!

"Deep beneath the ocean's surface, we at Center Neptune are on watch twenty-four hours a day." 7-Zark-7 spoke to himself, as if performing for an unseen audience. "We cannot let down our guard for even one minute, because that minute could be the exact moment when Spectra strikes!" Zark inched across the room, moving slowly on his cumbersome feet. He had forgone his usual cape today, and as such, his relative speed suffered.

"Of course, such a busy schedule makes it difficult for me." Zark moaned self-indulgently. "I am constantly on duty, never allowed to take a break, always sacrificing myself for the good of the Federation…"

"Wap, wap, wap!" 1-Rover-1 interrupted 7-Zark-7's self-pitying monologue

"Of course you're right, 1-Rover-1." Zark agreed brightly. "Today I have been given a rare chance for a much-needed vacation! It's Christmas, and I have been invited to spend the holiday with my grandfather, 4-Zark-4."

"Wap!"

"Yes, yes, I was just getting to that!" Zark muttered with a touch of impatience. "Since I won't be here to monitor the Federation for signs of invasion from evil alien planets, Galaxy Security is sending a temporary replacement for me. I just wish I knew who it was…"

"Wap, wap!"

"_Susan_?" Zark was clearly shocked by this news. "My replacement is… Susan?"

A familiar device dropped down from the ceiling, its two cylindrical parts giving it the appearance of periscope-style binoculars.

"Yes, Zark." Susan answered in a breathy voice. "I'll be in charge. So don't you worry. You have a good time visiting with your Grandfather."

"But Susan… you're not here!" Zark protested. "How can you do my job when you're not at Center Neptune?"

"No matter where I am, I have to watch over the _entire_ universe, Zark." Susan seemed to be slightly miffed. "I can do that as well from Pluto as I can from Center Neptune. Besides, I'll have 1-Rover-1 to help me."

"Well, if you're sure…" Zark sounded doubtful.

"Chief Anderson said I was completely qualified for the job." Susan insisted. "So you can go now, Zark." Her tone was decidedly frosty.

"Fine… well… if you don't need me anymore…" Zark slunk quietly out of the Ready Room, his feet progressing inch by inch. Susan and Rover didn't speak until he was gone.

"Imagine, he thinks we can't handle things without him!" Susan huffed. "We'll show him, right, 1-Rover-1?"

"Wap! Wap, wap!"

"Now, let me just monitor what's going on in outer space." Susan hummed to herself, the binocular-like device practically turning to focus on the many screens of colored lights displaying secure information from across multiple galaxies.

"Look, there seems to be something happening on the Planet Erat!" Susan noted. "Oh, it must be their Christmas celebration! Let's observe more closely!"

Scenes of the planet in question flashed across Susan and Rover's monitors.

"Erat has a terrible history of war and fighting." Susan explained to Rover. "The man behind all of this conflict was the evil General Taranto, who only wanted power and glory for himself. Fortunately, the people of Erat asked for help from the Federation. Ambassadors were sent, and the people refused to fight. Battlefields were abandoned, and General Taranto was driven off the planet, under the direction of the newly-elected President Nevyn!"

"The people of Erat were thrilled to discover the joys of peace." Susan continued after a pause. "They embraced the Federation and the people of Earth as friends, and even took on many Earth customs to show their gratitude. But the Earth custom the people of Erat most enjoy is the celebration of Christmas. This alien planet has embraced our holiday, using it to honor the sentiments of peace, love and giving. Why even now they are preparing for the Snow Festival to celebrate the holiday, where all children will be given gifts by Santa's Elves and the Snow Queen."

Inside the President's mansion, President Nevyn leaned back against his chair, smoking a cigar, relaxing for a moment as Vice-President Dander prepared to make his report.

"So how are the preparations for the Snow Festival going, Dander?" Nevyn asked. "Have we ordered enough presents for the children? I would hate to see the little ones disappointed.

"I will personally ensure that doesn't happen." Dander replied. "I understand how important this is to you, and to the good people of Erat."

"I appreciate your hard work." the President smiled, taking the cigar out of his mouth. "We suffered for so long under that tyrant, General Taranto, that the people truly deserve a peaceful holiday."

"I agree, Sir."

"What's that?"

The cry came from outside the building. Dander was startled as he and Nevyn approached the large picture window in the office, to better see what was going on. A strange purple ship, piloted by a man wearing a green uniform, was hovering outside.

"Protect the President!" the guards cried, but before they could do anything, a small jet shot off the side of the purple ship and swooped overhead, knocking them to the ground. The jet passed by the window of the President's office, shattering the glass and sending Nevyn and Dander diving for cover. The purple ship moved closer, hovering right in front of the broken window. Even as Nevyn and Dander dusted themselves off, a door on the side of the ship opened, revealing the ominous form of General Taranto.

"President Nevyn and Vice President Dander, you don't look so smug now!" the General smirked.

"But…" Nevyn protested, but Taranto cut him off.

"I am the true ruler of Erat!" Taranto declared. "These people are too stupid to know what's good for them! Electing a leader… pah! You have twenty-four hours to hand over control of your planet to me, or I will be forced to take military action against you!"

As he spoke, a strange man, dressed in purple, walked up behind the General, almost as if he, and not Taranto, were the one truly in control.

"Whether or not your people survive long enough to celebrate this disgusting… Christmas… is up to you, Nevyn! I await your answer. Remember, you only have twenty-four hours!"

With that, the door closed and the ship sped away, moving quickly up into the atmosphere and then to outer space.

"Mr. President, this is a terrible turn of events!" Dander gasped. "General Taranto…"

"We have even worse problems than that." Nevyn replied, unable to tear his eyes away from the spot in the sky where the strange ship had vanished. "Did you recognize that strange man behind the General? That was Zoltar, leader of the Planet Spectra. The Spectrans are violent people, prone to military action. This was no empty threat. Taranto has allied himself with Zoltar."

"We cannot defend ourselves against Spectra!" Dander cried.

"We have to do something." Nevyn admitted. "Erat cannot afford to have that vicious dictator in control once again. Yet we no longer have a military force…"

"We don't have a military force… but the Federation does!" Dander exclaimed.

"You're right…" Nevyn turned away from the window, stroking his chin. "We could ask the Federation for help."

"They have aided us so much already…"

"I hope they will aid us once more." the President said, looking up in hope.

"Should we evacuate the citizens, Mr. President? Get them to the bomb-proof shelters?"

"Not yet… we don't want to cause a panic."

"But Sir…"

"You doubt me?"

"No, of course not. You're right. It would ruin Christmas for everyone."

"We won't run away!" the President declared.

"Then we're counting on the Federation?"

"We're counting on G-Force!"

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Christmas Disco, the latest Dirty Name 5 hit, blasted through the G-Force Ready Room, with Princess and Keyop playing along to the beat. Mark and Jason bounced a ping pong ball between them with their habitual precision, yet in a somehow more festive manner than usual. Tiny was eating Spaceburgers in his lounge chair, stretched out in the shadow of an enormous Christmas tree, which was so large that it almost entirely blocked the viewscreen through with 7-Zark-7 communicated with the G-Force Team.

"You did a terrific job decorating the Ready Room, Princess." Mark noted casually as he flexed his knees, bending down and hitting the ping pong ball.

"Looks… great!" Keyop agreed in his usual burble.

"I really like the tree." Tiny added. "It smells… pine-y! It's giving me an appetite!"

"It could smell like the dump and you'd _still_ have an appetite." Jason remarked slyly.

"Just for that, I'm not sharing any of my Spaceburgers with you, Jason!" Tiny retorted, but it was clear that he had taken his friend's comment in the humorous manner in which it had been intended.

"Actually, I still have one more decoration to put up, Mark." Princess did her best to ignore the not-so-witty repartee. "I haven't yet decided where to put the mistletoe."

"Mistletoe?" Mark's face turned slightly red, and he appeared to be momentarily choking on the word. The ping pong ball came toward him and the Commander made a wild swing, sending the white sphere flying into Tiny's Spaceburger, knocking it out of his hand.

"Aw man, that's the second time today!" Tiny groused.

Just then, something on the control panels chimed, and the Team stopped what they were doing, to pay attention to an incoming transmission.

"Hello, Team." Susan's breathy voice came from the obscured monitor behind the Christmas tree. "I wanted to let you know that Chief Anderson would like to see you all right away."

"What's up, Susan?" Mark asked, as the Team lined up in front of the tree.

"The Planet Erat is in great need of assistance." Susan informed the Commander. "They require the presence of G-Force immediately!"

"We're on our way!" Princess replied. As one, the Team turned, just in time for the floor to drop out from beneath them. Their hair went flying as they sped away to their briefing.

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"As you know, Erat is in the process of joining the Federation, but we could lose a valuable ally if General Taranto takes over control of the planet once more, especially if he is backed by Zoltar." Chief Anderson explained, his eyes on the uniformed G-Force Team standing in front of him. "The democratically-elected President has requested your help in holding off any kind of invasion, particularly one aided by Spectra."

The Commander appeared grim, but determined.

"The people of Erat are celebrating Christmas, with their Snow Festival." Anderson continued. "You are all to mingle with the crowds, looking for any suspicious activity. I understand that you're giving up your own Christmas celebrations to help, but the people of Erat are counting on you!"

"Our duty comes first, Chief." Mark replied for all of them.

"Then launch the Phoenix for the Planet Erat!"

"G-Force!"

No sooner had the order been given than the Phoenix was in the air.

"G-Force is traveling through space, using Time Warp." Susan said to herself, watching the Team's progress on Zark's monitors. "They're traveling great distances in the blink of an eye! Isn't this exciting, 1-Rover-1?"

Rover yapped.

"Not too much longer, 1-Rover-1. They're arriving on Erat now." Susan replied. "Shortly, the Team will de-transmute and separate to explore Okra, the capital city, undercover. Let's watch them on Zark's monitors! Look, there's Keyop!"

In the streets of Okra, Keyop wandered aimlessly, an expression of disappointment on his face.

"Why others… go to Snow Festival… not me?" Keyop burbled. "No one here… in city…" But even as he uttered these words, he heard the sound of footsteps. He peeked around a corner, only to see a young boy in green overalls holding a purse away from a small girl.

"Give my back my purse!" the girl cried

"Just playing with it!" the boy grinned, keeping it just out of her reach as she struggled helplessly. "Don't you know how to have fun?" A number of other boys showed up, laughing at the girl. Keyop's blood boiled.

"Here it is!" sad a taller boy, snatching it from the first boy, but still holding it up where the girl could not reach it.

"Please give it back to me!" The girl spoke prettily, but her hands were placed indignantly on her hips. Keyop could see that her patience was fast running out. The boy didn't appear to hear the girl's plea as he tossed the purse back to his comrade. It landed on the boy's head.

"Please! I need my purse!" the girl seemed to be on the verge of tears. The boy in the green overalls bent down, teasing the girl by offering the purse and pulling it just out of her reach. But it wasn't the girl who snatched it off of his head.

It was Keyop.

"Oh! Are you helping me?" the girl asked Keyop with a smile. But the boy in green overalls rudely pushed her out of the way.

"No, it's mine! Give it back!" the boy lied while Keyop scowled.

"No… Christmas spirit!" Keyop lectured, lightly smacking the boy with the purse before handing it to its rightful owner.

"Hey, what did you do that for?" the boy asked, holding his nose while the girl ducked behind Keyop, knowing a protector when she saw one.

"Why'd you have to ruin our fun?" the boy added, his hands now placed indignantly on his hips.

"Just leave us alone!" the other boys cried in unison.

"Not nice… to take things…" Keyop was unfazed, the girl peeping out from behind him.

"Who do you think you are?" the boy in the green overalls shouted. "Come on, guys!" The boys approached menacingly in a group, but Keyop stood his ground. In fact, he took a step closer, to show them that he wasn't afraid. Next to Spectran soldiers, these little bullies were nothing.

"Aren't you going to run?" the boy in the green overalls asked. "Don't tell me you're going to fight us! Five against one!" He was screaming now, and pointing at Keyop's face.

"No fighting!" Keyop yelled back, causing his attacker to cower in fear. He was so intent on dealing with these unruly boys that he didn't notice the girl running away.

But the boy in the green overalls wasn't down for long. He rushed at Keyop, who grabbed him and tossed him aside. The other boys were suitably impressed… but only for a moment.

"Get him, guys!" one of the other boys shouted, and then they were all coming at Keyop. One dove for his legs, but Keyop simply jumped above him. Another boy jumped at him, but Keyop simply pushed his opponent up, over his head, and out of harm's way. He landed next to his friend on the alley floor.

"I'm going to get you!" The last boy ran toward Keyop, but his kick was so poorly executed that it didn't even touch Keyop, and the boy simply sat down and cried.

"See? Fighting… no good!" Keyop told them smugly.

"No fighting? You sound like my Grandma!" the boy in the green overalls began laughing, and soon his friends were laughing too.

"Aw, maybe he's right." one of the other boys admitted. "We were never any good at fighting anyhow."

"I wish we'd never taken that girl's purse." the smallest boy agreed.

"Not nice… to take things…" Keyop agreed, glad to see that his message was getting through.

"Just so you know, we were going to give it back!" the boy in the green overalls insisted. "We do this all the time, and it's just for fun! Why did you have to ruin our fun?"

"You know, the kid's got a point, Jack." the smallest boy said.

"You're right, Chester!" agreed another boy.

"Hurt… girl's feelings…" Keyop began, but he couldn't finish, as Jack stuck his hand over his mouth.

"Stop it already!" Jack cried. "You really are like my Grandma! Making me feel guilty… okay, I'm sorry. We were just having some fun. But maybe there are better ways to have fun."

"You're right!"

"Yeah…"

"I'm sorry we did that too."

"We shouldn't have taken her purse."

Keyop smiled. He was happy to know that he had gotten through to these boys.

"See…? Not so… hard…" Keyop grinned, shaking Jack's hand. "I'm… Keyop!"

"Hey, Jack, the Snow Festival is about to start!" Chester announced. "I don't want to be late!"

"Oh yeah!" Jack suddenly recalled. "I want to get my present!"

"Presents?" Keyop asked.

"The Snow Queen and Santa's elves give presents to all of the kids!" Jack informed him. "Everybody will get one! Why don't you come with us, Keyop?"

"Yeah!" all of the boys cheered.

Half of the group ran off.

"Come on, Keyop!" Chester urged.

"Can't… mission…" Keyop burbled, before suddenly realizing he might have said too much. "Uh… okay…" He found himself unceremoniously dragged off by the remaining two boys.

At the Snow Festival, jets were streaming through the air, music was playing, and everyone was in a holiday mood.

"Merry Christmas to all people of Erat!" An announcer's voice passed through the crowd, which included the other members of G-Force. "We welcome you here to our Snow Festival! All children please come forward to receive your present from the Snow Queen!"

The children rushed forward, eager to receive their gifts. As they approached the Snow Queen, the announcer continued speaking.

"Vice-President Dander and a couple of Santa's elves are assisting the Snow Queen in this special duty. Santa would be here himself, but as you know, tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and he is preparing for his journey. He is in his workshop, buried in the snow beneath the ceremonial ice statues of the Festival!"

"I guess that makes sense, since there's no North Pole on Erat." Princess giggled softly. "At least Santa's in the snow!"

"And remember, you must wait until midnight before opening your gifts! That's the Snow Queen's rule!" the announcer added, as children continued to clamor for presents. "Rewards only come to those with self-restraint!"

But that self-restraint came at a price. Only a few hours later, at sunset, Jack and his friends were standing around an old warehouse, glum expressions on their faces.

"I can't believe that we have to hang around until midnight before opening our presents!" Jack complained. "I've been waiting for this all year!"

"I didn't even have a chance to peek!" another boy sighed. "My Mom took mine from me as soon as I got home."

"You tried, Ted." a third boy attempted to console his friend.

"I can't wait until midnight!" Chester whimpered.

"And it's all Santa's fault…" Jack grumbled.

"Santa's fault?" Ted was surprised.

"Yeah! He wasn't there to hand out the presents, and let the Snow Queen make all the rules!" Jack explained his train of thought.

"Oh yeah…!" the other boys cried out.

"Yeah, Santa's underneath the statues!" one boy shouted, throwing his arm into the air.

"Let's go see him!" the other boys cried together.

"Maybe he'll let us open presents now!" Chester concurred.

"Put on cloaks; it's cold!" Jack reminded the others.

"Yeah!" the boys agreed happily.

The large clock tower in the center of Okra showed 9:30 pm. The streets were dark, and no one moved. Yet a shadow appeared for a brief moment, before blending back into he darkness again.

"At 9:30 pm, you'd think there would be some activity on the streets." Mark thought to himself. "Why is it so quiet?"

He moved to the next street, his white Birdstyle flashing as he passed by the dark buildings. But an unexpected noise from inside one of the homes made him pause. Curiously, the Commander opened the door… only to find an Erat citizen who had collapsed to the ground!

"What's wrong?" Mark cried, then he gasped as he beheld the rest of the scene. The Commander was standing in a private home. A woman and a girl had collapsed at the kitchen table, and a boy was on the floor, near the sink. A strange, purplish gas filled the room.

"Sleeping gas!" Mark realized. The Commander picked up an open box from the kitchen table. It had a strange device in it, which seemed to be emitting the gas, although it was weakening now.

"This is one of the Snow Queen's presents!" Mark cried, sniffing at the box. "Fortunately my cerebonics were designed to filter out this kind of thing…" He raised his communicator to his mouth.

"Everyone come in!"

"Mark, those presents contain some kind of sleeping gas!" Jason replied. He too had discovered a slumbering family. "The family I found opened their gifts early, before midnight, but others…"

"At midnight, everyone is supposed to be asleep!" Mark realized. "Spectra is going to attack at midnight!"


	2. Part 2 after commercial break

1-Rover-1 paced aimlessly back and forth across the small expanse of metal flooring in Zark's Ready Room, Susan's 'binocular' device hanging over his head.

"Wap!" he barked mournfully.

"I can't help but be worried too, right now." Susan admitted. "G-Force has just discovered a sleeping gas in Christmas presents distributed all over the Planet Erat! The gifts are supposed to be opened at midnight, and it is almost certain that Spectra will attack at that very moment! Now it's up to G-Force to stop them!"

"Wap, wap!" Rover added, his whole body sparking in response.

"You're right, 1-Rover-1." Susan agreed. "If anyone can prevent this disaster, it's G-Force!"

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At that very moment, the members of G-Force gathered in the home where Mark had discovered the sleeping gas.

"No matter what we do, they won't wake up!" Princess reported.

"They'll probably be asleep for hours." Mark deduced. "Spectra wouldn't have wanted to take chances."

"What's going to happen when they attack, and everyone is sleeping?" Princess asked, tears in her eyes.

"They won't be able to get to bomb shelters!" Jason noted in disgust. "A dirty trick…"

Yet even as G-Force unraveled Spectra's dastardly plan, Vice-President Dander was cackling nastily.

"It won't be long now!" he smirked. "Only two hours to midnight, and then the attack begins! Spectra will be in control of Erat, and all of its resources!"

"I'd rather the President surrendered." Taranto growled, clutching at his glass of wine in an awkward fashion, as if he would be more comfortable with a mug of beer.

"Even if he doesn't it won't matter." Dander gloated. "With everyone sleeping for hours, there will be no one to resist as we take over the planet!"

"If the President's even awake right now, he's probably trembling in his boots." Taranto laughed nastily.

"Erat belongs to Spectra, and already would be under our control, if these idiot citizens hadn't decided to exile you, Taranto." Zoltar agreed. "We'll claim it again."

"No more leniency for these people!" Taranto declared. "They will go to work in the mines and munitions factories, excavating resources and building war robots for you, Lord Zoltar."

"The only fly in the ointment is G-Force." Zoltar pointed out. "If they should get here before the attack, there could be problems. If only we could be certain that they aren't aware of our plan…"

"We'll just lay a trap for them, in case they do show up!" Taranto declared. "In fact, I've already got a little something prepared."

"Taranto and I came up with this idea a few days ago." Dander admitted. "In fact, I asked Galaxy Security myself for their 'assistance'."

"Trust me, Zoltar, G-Force will never escape from the trap we've set for them!" Taranto assured the Spectran Leader. "They'll never know what hit them! Gone before you know it!" He raised his wine glass for a drink.

"Why was I not informed of this change in plans?" Zoltar asked angrily, although his facial expression remained calm. "You should have told me what you were doing! You've compromised this entire operation! The Luminous One will not be pleased! You had better make sure that this invasion goes off without any problems whatsoever, or it will be your head, Taranto!"

And indeed, the G-Force Team was on alert, scouring the city for signs of Spectran activity. They saw a small group of boys dressed in the traditional cloaks and caps of Erat, moving toward the ice statues.

"Look, those boys are still awake!" Princess noted.

"Jack… and friends…" Keyop burbled.

"Do you know those boys, Keyop?" Mark asked.

"Met them… before…" Keyop explained. "In city…"

"Spectra attacks in less than two hours." the Commander said. "They're in danger. We need to get them to safety." In short order, the G-Force Team was dashing through the dark streets.

"They're heading toward the ice statues." Mark realized.

Indeed, the boys were staring in wonder at the ice statues. Next to a statue of the Snow Queen was one of…

"The reindeer!" Jack declared. "Santa's workshop has got to be underneath the reindeer statue! Let's get digging!"

"Yeah!" the other boys agreed.

And yet, the reindeer statue's eyes glowed strangely… or was it strange after all? A Spectran soldier was behind those eyes, looking out at the night below.

"What is that?" he goggled, as he saw five shapes dart across the square below. Just to be certain, he checked another monitor.

"G-Force!" he gasped.

"G-Force?" Zoltar cried, upon hearing the news. "They're here?"

"Yes, my lord!" the soldier reported. "They're at the base of the reindeer statue!"

"This trap of yours had better be good!" Zoltar growled at Taranto and Dander.

"We're going to get them!" the General promised. "Dander and I spent a long time on this plan! It will succeed!"

"If it doesn't, the Great Spirit will be furious with us!" Zoltar countered. "Soldier, activate the trap doors!"

"Yes, Zoltar!" the man saluted.

Even now, the five boys were arriving at the base of the reindeer statue. As they approached, they realized how massive it truly was.

"Wow… Santa lives here!" Jack was clearly impressed.

"We can't break this!" one boy threw his club away. "We'll have to find another way to get down to the workshop!"

"Why… here?" Keyop wondered, as the G-Force Team caught sight of the boys.

"Maybe we can go up!" Jack replied, climbing a nearby set of stairs and leading his friends. But the floor fell away beneath them, and the boys dropped out of sight.

"Spectra!" Mark gasped. Indeed, another door had opened on the side of the statue's base, revealing a Spectran soldier.

"Spectra's base must be in there!" the Commander said.

"Rescue… boys!" Keyop burbled.

"Tiny, go get the Phoenix!" Mark ordered.

"You got it!" Tiny rushed off.

The Spectran soldier had come out to inspect the area. He was completely surprised when the Commander dropped down behind him.

Inside the reindeer statue-cum-Spectran Base, Zoltar, Taranto, Dander and a few Spectran guards entered a darkened room in which five cloaked figures crouched on the floor.

"Welcome, G-Force! It seems that you have fallen into our little trap. This will be the end of you!" Zoltar declared triumphantly.

But the figures grinned, and it was suddenly clear that these five were Jack and his friends.

"G-Force?" they called out, wide grins splitting their faces from ear to ear.

"I love G-Force!" one of them declared, pulling off his cap and waving it.

"What is this?" Zoltar was aghast. "And where is the _real_ G-Force?"

"We don't like bullies and thugs!" Jack cried. "It's not nice to take things…"

"That don't belong to you!" the boys all finished in unison, approaching Zoltar and his cronies with their hands held up in a 'stop' gesture.

"You're not really going to hurt us, are you, Mister?" Chester asked innocently, approaching Zoltar. "You're not that mean, right? I can tell!"

But Zoltar's response was to push the boy away from him.

"I hate kids!" he yelled in disgust.

"You _are_ mean!" Chester shouted as he stood up again.

"I cannot believe that your wonderful 'trap' caught nothing but these children!" Zoltar ranted. "Where is the real G-Force?"

"Right over here, Zoltar!"

"What?" Zoltar turned in fear, only to see the G-Force Team standing behind him. "It can't be!"

"We won't let you push around small children any more!" Mark declared. "We're here to stop your invasion!"

"Wow, it's G-Force!" the boys all shouted.

The shadows of the G-Force members flew across the wall as the Team prepared to defend itself. Flashes could be seen of Mark and Keyop kicking at the Spectran guards. The boys cheered on their heroes, thrilled to be in the midst of such action. Princess threw out her yo-yo, while Keyop flew head first into Dander's stomach. Mark, Princess and Keyop leapt and flew while Keyop bit the head of a Spectran soldier attempting to attack.

"We need to get these boys out of here!" the Commander cried, and the shadows flew across the wall again, this time with a group of children in tow.

"Everyone, evacuate this section!" Zoltar's voice was heard across the din as the Spectran guards began to run. The Commander pulled a handful of minibombs from his pouch and threw them into the base, before grabbing Ted and leaping through a window, to better flee the forthcoming explosion.

The G-Force Team flew out of the reindeer statue's eye, but easily glided to the ground with the aid of their wings, despite carrying the rescued boys along with them. Yet the crisis was not over. The door at the base of the statue opened, and a hundred evacuating Spectran soldiers stormed out, ready for action!

Yet the soldiers saw no sign of their quarry. Indeed, G-Force was hiding in the bushes, knowing that they did not risk another confrontation with the Spectrans when there was the all-too-real possibility that the boys could be hurt on the sidelines.

"They're everywhere, Mark!" Princess whispered.

"We can't risk the lives of these boys." the Commander answered her unspoken question.

"We can fight too!" Chester stood up, shouting with pride. "We're with G-Force!"

Of course, this was enough to catch the notice of the Spectran guards, and laser fire immediately blanketed the area. A frustrated Commander covered Chester with his wings, even as the remaining members of G-Force did the same for the other boys.

"Let me go! I can fight! We want to help G-Force!" Chester continued to cry.

But help was on the way. The Phoenix appeared in the night sky. This fact wasn't lost on the Spectrans.

"It's the Phoenix!" one of the soldiers cried.

"It's coming this way!" shouted another. But before the Spectrans could react, the spaceship had swooped down, sending them all tumbling to the ground in its wake. Mark, Princess, Jason and Keyop lost no time in jumping aboard, taking the boys with them, in order to ensure their safety. Tiny immediately took off, as soon as everyone was safely on the Bridge.

"G-Force is getting away!" Zoltar said angrily, raising his fist in front of his viewscreen. "We cannot let them stop our invasion! They must be destroyed!" A Spectran soldier obediently pressed a number of buttons at his control panel, and suddenly the reindeer statue disappeared, only to be replaced by a red and black reindeer robot! Yet the robot transformed into a different creature: wings sprouted from its side, and two of its four legs retracted into its body. The remaining two were left behind as the rest of the robot launched from what was left of the statue's pedestal. The reindeer robot had become a Christmas partridge! The flying partridge robot began pursuit of the Phoenix.

"Spectran ship at coordinates 5.6.9!" Princess called out.

"Tiny, lose that thing!" the Commander ordered simply.

"You've got it, Mark!"

The boys cheered from the back of the Bridge, where Princess and Jason watched over them.

But the partridge robot began firing at the Phoenix, and Tiny had to pull the ship straight up.

"Boys, buckle your seatbelts!" Princess instructed, as the spaceship shook from the stress of this maneuver.

"Make sure you're strapped in tight, kids." Jason advised. "As you've seen, the Happiness Boys don't always play nice."

"Zoltar sure isn't giving up easy!" Mark noted.

The Commander's words were proven correct by a barrage of missiles that came from the nose of the partridge robot. Tiny swerved the Phoenix upward, but the missiles swerved as well, moving along right behind.

"Commander, they're following us!" the Pilot cried. The Phoenix continued to swerve and dive in an attempt to lose the projectiles, all to no avail.

"They must be heat-seeking missiles." Mark said. "They're attracted to our heat output!"

"That means the Fiery Phoenix is out." Princess noted.

"No, we have to avoid those missiles!" Chester gibbered, grabbing alternately at Keyop and Princess. "Get us out of here, G-Force!"

"Bring us up to those snow clouds, Tiny! They should lower out hull temperature." Mark ordered.

"Roger." Tiny agreed, a determined expression on his face.

"G-Force, I have you this time!" Zoltar crowed, watching the chase from his partridge robot. "There is no way you can avoid those heat-seeking missiles. It doesn't matter how high you go! You are doomed! Erat is mine! The Federation is mine!"

The Phoenix continued to streak straight up toward the sky.

"Hull temperature is at -30 degrees!" Tiny reported.

"I think I'm gonna be sick…" Jack moaned. None of the boys were looking very good. Keyop and Jason were barely hanging on, since they had given up their seats to the Phoenix's young passengers, and were now forced to stand.

"Lord Zoltar, we can't find the Phoenix in all of these clouds!" one of the Spectran soldiers onboard the partridge robot announced. "We don't know where it is!"

"It doesn't matter! Our heat-seeking missiles will find them!" Zoltar crowed. And sure enough, the missiles were still following the Phoenix.

"Now, Tiny! To the partridge robot! From behind!" the Commander barked his orders.

"10-4!" Tiny agreed. With a sudden burst from the engines, the Phoenix burst out of the clouds, to the rear of the Spectran robot.

"They're behind us! Everyone evacuate!" one of the Spectran soldiers cried, ready to run.

"Thrusters up, Tiny!" Mark shouted.

The Phoenix flew up at a sharp angle, soaring over the partridge robot. But the missiles behind them did not follow, instead crashing head-on into the Spectran ship. The partridge robot began to explode. Onboard, Taranto and Dander were thrown to the floor.

"Zoltar, we must escape!" Taranto begged, his hand on Zoltar's shoulder.

"Let's evacuate! Follow me!" Zoltar cried, running off toward an open door.

A few seconds later, an escape ship was seen zooming away from the doomed partridge.

Onboard the Phoenix, everyone watched the destruction of the Spectran warship with intense relief.

"Yay for G-Force!" Jack grinned. "They did it!"

"Three cheers for G-Force!" the other boys added. "Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!"

The cheers echoed as the remnants of the partridge robot fell into the uninhabited mountains of Erat, far from the sleeping citizens of Okra.

"Aw, man, I wanted to be the one to blast them!" Chester sulked.

"Just be glad you're safe." Princess said kindly.

"And it's Christmas!" Ted reminded him.

"Merry Christmas, Spectra!" Chester stuck his tongue out at the fleeing Spectran ships.

The dawn was breaking, and the sky was beginning to lighten as G-Force dropped the boys back in Okra.

"Go home to your families. Everyone should be waking up shortly." the Commander told them.

"I'm glad everyone's going to be okay!" Jack said in relief.

"I wish we had gotten real Christmas presents though." Chester sighed.

"Maybe… could…" Keyop burbled.

"Keyop, that's a terrific idea!" Princess agreed, before turning to the boys. "I think we can arrange for some real presents to be delivered. After all, today is Christmas Eve."

"Wow, that's great!" Chester lit up with excitement, rushing toward Princess. "You're the best!"

"Thanks so much!" Ted added, running to Keyop.

"G-Force is the greatest!" another boy shouted, raising his fist in the air.

"Hey, guys, stop!" Jack shouted. "Princess said it before. We're alive! We're safe! And General Taranto is gone! That's the best present we could have. Peace!"

"Peace!" the boys agreed happily, throwing their arms into the air.

"Jack is right. Peace on Earth… and on Erat… is what Christmas is all about." the Commander concurred. "Merry Christmas, everyone. I know you're going to have a great holiday."

"Yeah! And Santa's still coming tonight…" Jack mused. "He'll bring presents!"

"Santa's the greatest." Princess giggled.

"It's time to get back, everyone." Mark ordered. The members of G-Force turned and leapt into the air, flying up high to the hull of the Phoenix.

"That was incredible!" Jack's jaw fell.

"Don't forget us, G-Force!" Chester called out.

"Won't… forget…" Keyop burbled, waving from the top of the ship.

"Merry Christmas!" Chester called back. "I hope Santa brings you presents too!" But then he blinked, realizing something.

"What would G-Force want for Christmas? They have everything…" Chester wondered.

"What would G-Force want for Christmas?" Susan asked 1-Rover-1, as they observed the proceedings. "I think they would like to have a day off, to relax with their family and friends, and to enjoy the love they all share for each other." She sighed as she watched the Phoenix fly off into the sunrise.

"I'm sure Chief Anderson has something special planned for them, when they arrive home." Susan continued.

"Wap, wap, wap!" 1-Rover-1 agreed.

"It's wonderful that G-Force will get to spend Christmas together." Susan sighed, unhappiness evident in her tone. "I wish I could spend Christmas with someone. I'm all alone here, on the Planet Pluto."

"Wap, wap!" Rover replied.

"Oh, thank you, 1-Rover-1." Susan said gratefully. "I appreciate your company. Really, I do. But you know…"

"Wap?"

"You're right, 1-Rover-1. Zark is the one I'd _truly_ like to be with for Christmas. I know he didn't think we could do this job… but we have, haven't we? And I _do_ miss him. After all, it isn't a holiday unless you're with the one you love?"

"Did I hear my name?" Zark shuffled into the room, inching along the smooth, metallic floor.

"Zark!" Susan's voice was surprised, but pleased. "I didn't expect to see you back so soon. What happened to your grandfather?"

"He was invited to spend Christmas with the designers at Quanto Tobor Labs." Zark sighed. "Oh, what I would give for such an honor! But they only wanted 4-Zark-4, not 7-Zark-7…"

"_We_ want you, 7-Zark-7." Susan gushed. "After all, what's Christmas without our favorite robot?"

"Really?" Zark tittered, his colored lights flashing in an embarrassed pattern.

"Wap! Wap, wap!"

"Really." Susan confirmed. "Now it will be a merry Christmas after all!"

"Merry Christmas to you too, Susan!" Zark giggled briefly before saluting. "To you, and to everyone working for… G-Force!"


End file.
